The invention concerns a decoration foil for decorating three-dimensional substrate surfaces with heating.
A decoration foil for decorating a substrate surface may in one form comprise a carrier film and a decorative layer which is arranged thereon and which is formed by at least one lacquer layer which is printed on, forming a decoration in accurate register relationship.
Such decoration foils can be either in the form of transfer foils in the manner of a hot stamping foil, or a lamination foil. When the foil is in the form of a n transfer foil, the decorative layer is detached from the carrier film during the transfer procedure, while lamination foils are transferred onto the substrate to be decorated, as a whole, that is to say, both the carrier film and also the decorative layer are applied to the substrate surface.
Decoration foils comprising a carrier film and a decorative layer which forms the actual decoration are used in a very wide range of different areas, one of the areas of use being the decoration of three-dimensional surfaces. When a surface of that kind is to be provided with a decorative film, the decoration foil which serves to apply the decorative film must be capable of adapting to the irregularities of the surface with the maximum degree of accuracy, for which purpose it is also necessary for the decoration foil to be able to stretch sufficiently, if required. That property plays a part in particular in regard to the decoration of three-dimensional molded parts in presses, in which the decoration film is applied against the surface of the molded part, either by means of a membrane or only with the generation of suitable pressure differences. A further area of use is so-called xe2x80x9cinsert moldingxe2x80x9d, in which the foil is introduced into an injection molding mold and then plastic material is injected behind it, producing the molded part.
Success has already been achieved in producing decoration foils which are particularly suitable for those purposes, but only for those areas of use in which a given patterning effect on the decoration foil or the like is not an important consideration. This means for example when a wood surface is to be imitated by means of the decoration foil, that the xe2x80x9cgrainingxe2x80x9d effect which is imitated by the decorative layer of the decoration foil may possibly have considerable irregularities.
An object of the present invention is to provide a decoration foil which is suitable more especially for the decoration of finely structured, three-dimensional substrate surfaces.
Another object of the invention is to provide a decoration foil such that, when the decoration foil is applied to a three-dimensional substrate surface an accurately matching decoration which is present in the decorative layer is not altered or is altered in an accurately predetermined manner.
Still another object of the invention is to afford a decoration foil which makes it possible for finely structured, three-dimensional substrate surfaces to be satisfactorily decorated with a pattern which can be accurately predetermined.
It was now surprisingly found that in accordance with the invention the above-indicated objects can be achieved in an extremely simple fashion by a decoration foil in the manner of a thermal transfer foil for decorating three-dimensional substrate surfaces with heating, comprising a carrier film and a decorative layer which is arranged thereon and which is formed by at least one lacquer layer printed on in region-wise fashion, forming a decoration in accurate register relationship. A substantially amorphous, unstretched polyester, polyamide or polyamide-copolymer film serves as the carrier film. An adhesive layer is provided for fixing to the substrate surface and the decorative layer is arranged between the carrier film and the adhesive layer. The carrier film can preferably be a polyethylene terephthalate film.
For the specifically intended areas of use decoration foils in accordance with the invention with an amorphous, unstretched polyamide or polyester film as the carrier film have in particular the advantage that they can be very considerably deformed, more specifically such deformation already occurring at comparatively low temperatures. Furthermore, as is familiar in itself, polyester films are highly resistant to the usual solvents. A further advantage of the carrier film of the foil in accordance with the invention is the comparatively low cost thereof.
Hitherto, PVC-carrier films have already been successfully used for comparable areas of use. However such films are objectionable in regard to the environmental problems which occur upon disposal thereof. The use of PE- or PP-foils which are usual on the market, as the carrier film, cannot be considered for the purposes of the invention because foils of that kind cannot be adequately deformed and in particular such deformation does not already occur at comparatively low temperature.
It is admittedly basically known that films of amorphous, unstretched polyester or polyamide already experience considerable deformation at low temperature. However it is precisely those properties and the initially severe shrinkage characteristic of such films upon heating that cause them to appear unsuitable when the situation involves applying by printing a decoration in accurate matching or register relationship, using a suitable lacquer. When passing through the printing machine and in particular upon drying of the lacquer layer, it is in fact not possible to avoid corresponding traction being applied to the carrier film, nor is it possible to prevent it from being heated. Consequently there must be a fear that the decoration which is originally applied by printing, on passing through the printing machine, experiences considerable changes and loses its register accuracy.
Now, the merit of the inventor in the present case is to have realised that these problems can be obviated upon skilled guidance of the carrier film during the printing operation and appropriate formation of the decoration, and decoration foils which are excellently well suited for the specified purposes can be produced, even using the film which appears per se to be unsuitable, comprising amorphous, unstretched polyester or polyamide.
It is precisely the initially considerable shrinkage of the carrier film upon heating that must even be considered as an advantage because it has the result that the decoration foil or in particular the carrier film thereof, upon being transferred to a structured surface, already bears almost entirely against a surface of any configuration, at just relatively low temperatures (from about 80xc2x0 C.) and under very low working pressures; in that respect, as tests have shown, it is even possible for grooves of a width of less than 1 mm to be suitably decorated with the decoration foil. In this connection the almost complete absence of any restoration tendency in respect of unstretched films after deformation thereof also plays a crucial part, thereby ensuring that the decoration foil, in particular when used as a lamination foil, adheres satisfactorily to the decorated surface after deformation and during cooling, without any tendency for example to pull back out of narrow grooves or the like. Particularly when dealing with parts with edges which fall away steeply, the initially substantial shrinkage effect on the part of the carrier films according to the invention results in a much lower degree of folding, in comparison with PVC-carriers which were used hitherto, while in addition it is possible to use substantially lower molding receiving means, which signifies a cost saving.
The above-mentioned resistance of the carrier film to the aqueous systems and solvents which are usually employed in lacquers and surface coatings respectively affords the advantage that it is possible to use a wide range of lacquers, in which respect it is for example also possible for the degree of shine, which is predetermined in itself, of the carrier film (this is generally slightly matte and semitransparent) to be arranged to correspond to the respective requirements involved, by virtue of a suitable intermediate lacquer layer.
To sum up therefore it is to be noted that the use of an unstretched, amorphous polyester, polyamide or polyamide-copolymer film as the carrier film in decoration foils affords a large number of advantages. Nonetheless the use of such films as carrier films for decoration foils which are decorated in accurate register relationship in a printing process was hitherto considered to be impossible, having regard to the low level of mechanical stability involved and the substantial shrinkage effect. The merit of the inventor is to have investigated and established the suitability of unstretched, amorphous films as a carrier film for the decoration foils, in spite of those alleged problems.
For most areas of use it has been found advantageous for the carrier film to be of a thickness of about 20 to 100 xcexcm.
In addition, to achieve sufficiently mechanically strong decorations it may preferably be provided that the decorative layer includes at least one decorative lacquer layer forming the decoration in accurate register relationship, and a protective lacquer layer which covers the decorative lacquer layer in use after being applied to the substrate surface. The protective lacquer layer for example may afford suitably high mechanical strength or resistance to UV-light.
It may further be desirable if the decorative layer includes at least one decorative lacquer layer which forms the decoration in accurate register relationship, and a colored lacquer layer which in use after being applied to the substrate surface is beneath the decorative lacquer layer and which is applied over the entire surface area. That affords further possible design configurations.
It is particularly advantageous if an adhesive layer is provided for the purposes of fixing to the substrate surface. In that respect, consideration can be given to the nature of and the surface of the substrate to be decorated, by virtue of a suitable choice of the adhesive layer. In certain cases it would however also be possible to omit the adhesive layer, whether the decorative layer itself has adequate adhesive properties or the adhesive layer is applied prior to application of the decoration foil to the substrate.
As noted it is provided in accordance with the invention that, for the purposes of use of the decoration foil as a thermal transfer foil, the decorative layer is arranged between the carrier film and the adhesive layer, in which case there is advantageously provided between the decorative layer and the carrier film a separation or detachment layer which facilitates detachment of the carrier film after application of the decorative layer to the substrate.
A thermal transfer foil according to the invention is desirably of such a configuration thatxe2x80x94if presentxe2x80x94the detachment layer, the protective lacquer layer, the decorative lacquer layer, the colored lacquer layer and the adhesive layer are arranged in succession on the carrier film.
However the decoration foil in accordance with the invention can be designed not only as a thermal transfer foil but also as a lamination foil. In the latter case the carrier film, in accordance with the invention, is disposed between the decorative layer and the adhesive layer. In accordance with the invention, in the case of a lamination foil, the carrier film carries in succession on its side remote from the lacquer layer, if present, the colored lacquer layer, the decorative lacquer layer and the protective lacquer layer.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.